Top Tips for Eating Out

🍽️ Eating Out Gluten Free

Eating out while following a gluten free diet can be frustrating, stressful, and sometimes even risky. From struggling to find safe restaurants to dealing with cross-contamination concerns, the challenges can make dining out feel more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.

Here’s some great information to help you navigate eating out gluten free with confidence. Whether you’re looking for the best ways to find safe restaurants, understand menus, communicate your dietary needs, or minimise cross-contamination risks, you’ll find it all below and even more detail in our full guides. 

Read on to discover practical tips and tools including our FREE Gluten Free Map - the best place to start to eat out safer and easier for everyone gluten free.

🗺️ Finding Restaurants

Eating out when you’re gluten free can be frustrating and stressful. It involves doing significant upfront research, being faced with limited or no options, a lack of understanding from others, and worst of all, being glutened - it often feels like more hassle than it’s worth. 

That’s why we created our Gluten Free Map - a completely FREE tool designed to help you discover safe places to eat across the UK. With our map, you can easily find gluten free friendly spots, read real reviews from people who truly understand the challenges, and share your own experiences to help others. 

No more stress, embarrassment, or wasted effort - just confidence in knowing you’ve found a safe and relaxing place to eat. Make sure you download the app (if you haven't already 😉) and get planning your next gluten free, stress-free meal!

👉🏾 Here's some more information on the gluten free map

📃 Understanding Menus

When dining out gluten free, it’s important to understand how restaurants label their gluten free options. Not everywhere will have a dedicated gluten free menu, some places have gluten free markings on their main menu, QR codes to an online menu, or an allergen matrix.

• Check how gluten free options are marked - look for terms like GF, GFO, NGCI, GFA
• Be cautious with ‘G’ labels - in some places, ‘G’ means contains gluten, not gluten free!
• Look for QR codes - some restaurants link to detailed gluten free menus online
• Ask for an allergen matrix - these should show potential cross-contamination in dishes
• Cross-contamination is a real risk - shared fryers, toasters, and surfaces can make ‘gluten free’ meals unsafe
• Always ask questions - a gluten free label doesn’t always mean safe for coeliacs

👉🏼 Check out our guide and you’ll be a pro in no time

💬 Communicating Dietary Requirements

When eating out gluten free, it’s crucial that you always communicate your dietary requirements with a staff member. Even if a restaurant has a gluten free menu or you’ve eaten there before, ingredients, suppliers and kitchen procedures can change. 

• Always inform staff about your dietary needs, even if you’ve dined there before
• Ask about cross-contamination risks (shared fryers, grills, toasters etc.)
• Be specific: If you have coeliac disease, say so - don’t just ask for a gluten free option
• Call ahead to ask about gluten free options and processes if needed
• Double check your food when it arrives to ensure it’s prepped safely
• Don’t feel like a burden - your health comes first

👉🏿 Learn how to confidently communicate your dietary needs with our expert guide

⚠️ Avoiding Cross-Contamination

For people with coeliac disease or gluten sensitivity, eating out can be challenging due to the risk of cross-contamination. Cross-contamination occurs when gluten free food comes into contact with gluten containing ingredients, surfaces or utensils. Whilst people with gluten intolerance may tolerate small traces, coeliacs must be vigilant about avoiding cross-contamination, regardless of whether they experience symptoms.

• Common sources of cross-contamination include shared fryers, prep areas, equipment, and storage
• Restaurants follow strict food safety rules to minimise risk of cross-contamination, but no mixed kitchen can be classed as 100% gluten-free
• Always communicate your dietary needs and ask key questions such as ‘Are chips fried in a dedicated gluten free fryer?’
• Menu disclaimers vary, some are more reassuring than other generic disclaimers
• Even accredited venues provide disclaimers because total gluten elimination isn’t possible
• Coeliacs must be extra cautious - understand risks, ask the right questions, and choose restaurants carefully for a safer gluten free dining experience

👉🏻 Read our full guide on cross-contamination for must-know tips

🧑‍⚖️ Understanding Food Safety Laws

For those with coeliac disease or gluten intolerance, eating out can be a source of concern. However, the UK has robust food safety laws and regulations to ensure that food establishments handle allergens, including gluten, safely. 

• The UK has strong food safety laws to protect people with allergies and intolerances
• Restaurants must follow legal requirements for allergen labelling and handling
• There is a difference between legally enforceable laws and best practice guidance
• Food businesses face inspections, fines, and legal action if they fail to comply
• Restaurant staff receive specific food safety training to prevent cross-contamination
• Transparent allergen information, regular inspections, and strict regulations make eating out in the UK generally safe

👉🏽 Know your rights when dining out - get informed with our guide on UK food safety laws

🪧 Explaining Accreditation Schemes

An accredited restaurant is a paid scheme, where restaurants can apply for the gluten free accreditation and are evaluated based on their food preparation processes, staff training, and measures to prevent cross-contamination

• Costs vary by number of locations, starting at hundreds of pounds annually
• The costly expense can prevent businesses from applying for accreditation
• Many non-accredited restaurants follow strict gluten free protocols without formal verification
• Accreditation doesn’t guarantee a risk-free environment - diligence from both diners and staff is still necessary
• UK food safety laws require all restaurants to follow allergen safety regulations, including clear labelling, staff training, and proper food handling
• Accreditation is helpful but not the only indicator of a safe dining experience for coeliacs

👉🏼 Should you trust accreditation when dining out - find out in our full guide on accreditation schemes